Endoscopes are typically used for minimally invasive surgery or to provide access to an internal location of a patient so that a doctor is provided with visual access. Endoscopes, during use, may be inserted into a location that may include debris that may cover the end of the endoscope and especially cover an imaging device located at the end of the endoscope. For example, an endoscope being used for surgery may become covered by blood and the blood may impair the vision of a surgeon so that surgery becomes increasingly difficult. Attempts have been made to provide various devices and systems to assist a surgeon clearing debris from the imaging device of the endoscope and restore vision. These devices may remove some of the debris from the imaging device of the endoscope, however, these devices may not remove all of the debris and/or may leave spots or droplets on the imaging device, which may result in continued impairment. These devices may have features that attempt to control the flow of fluid, suction, or both at the end of the endoscope in an attempt to clear debris, spots, droplets, or a combination thereof from the endoscope. Further, some of the endoscope systems leave droplets on the imaging device and/or lens and these droplets may inhibit vision through the lens and/or imaging device. Additionally, irrigation fluid and suction may be controlled by pressing one or more buttons located on the endoscope sheath which may result in repositioning of the endoscope during washing and/or cleaning or may cause the surgeon to reposition the endoscope within their hand.
Examples of some endoscope cleaning systems and actuation devices to control the endoscope cleaning systems may be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,505,707; 5,575,756; 5,630,795; 6,447,446; 8,079,952; 8,231,574 and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0025646, 2008/0081948, and 2013/0289595 all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety herein for all purposes. It would be attractive to have an endoscope system that washes an endoscope lens and/or imaging device and removes all debris and fluid droplets so that vision is not impaired. What is needed is a method of cleaning where there is no delay between an irrigation step and a suction step. What is needed is method of cleaning the endoscope where the irrigation step and suction step are triggered by a single action. It would be attractive to have an endoscope system that is free of a pump and is controlled by a foot system.